25 April 2024,   18:27
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Ukraine begins first trial of war crimes by Russia - 21-year-old Russian commander appears on dock

Ukraine is set to begin with the Russian war crime trials in Kyiv. The first defendant to appear at the dock in Kyiv’s district court is Vadim Shysimarin, a 21-year-old commander.

He was in Ukrainian custody after he allegedly murdered a 62-year-old civilian in Chupakhivka village, before raping his wife. Shysimarin was fighting in the Sumy region in northeast Ukraine.

He is also charged with shooting a Ukrainian military convoy and an unarmed man, prosecutors said.

The prosecutor’s office said Ukrainian investigators collected “evidence of his involvement in violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder” and that the crime can carry a penalty of 10 to 15 years or life in prison. The statement did not provide details on the nature of the evidence or how the Russian soldier ended up in Ukrainian custody.

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